To Hell and Beyond
by BeckyAsABoy
Summary: Axel had one task. Avenge his fallen comrades and take Sora's heart for the good of the Organization. Roxas wants to help, but Axel doesn't want him in his way. Will Axel succeed? Will Roxas interfere?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"What happened at Castle Oblivion was unfortunate, but necessary." Seven of the remaining members of the Organization were sitting in the Round Room. Xemnas, towering over them, continued. "Despite their treachery, they were members of our Organization, and as such their demises must be avenged." Xemnas' yellow eyes glowed as a sickening smile crossed his lips. He turned his head to Axel. "You," Axel, slouched languidly in his chair, perked up immediately as he realized he was being looked upon. "I am making that your responsibility." Axel tried not to glower at his superior. Holding his face expressionless, he asked why. "You didn't stop Sora before he took out Larxene, Vexen or Marluxia."

"It wasn't my impression I was to act as their baby-sitter or bodyguard at Castle Oblivion. They were taken out by that pipsqueak. Just because he's a keyblade wielder doesn't make him any less of a child. Survival of the fittest." Axel said scoffing. "Besides, they were betraying you, Lord Xemnas, they deserved what they got."

"I'm not arguing that, but Sora didn't know that, did he? What he did he did at the perceived detriment to me, to the Organization, and that will not be excused." Xemnas said. "Not another word, Axel." Axel had opened his mouth, but slowly closed it at Xemnas' command, slumping back against his chair. "I have made a deal with the god Hades, the details of which are irrelevant. You will go to the Coliseum at Olympus where you will find Sora attempting to engage in a tournament that isn't real. Bring his heart to me." Axel nodded disappearing into darkness.

"Do you think he can be trusted?" One of the remaining members asked. "Like you said, he didn't stop the destruction of those traitors. Maybe he was working with them, or worse he has his own deviations."

"This is a test, Saïx. If he passes, that will prove his loyalty to me, but if he should fail," A tooth bared grin formed as Xemnas paused, "then he had better ensure Sora destroys him like the others"

Axel entered his room, a deep sigh released from his mouth. He had no interest in whatever scheme Xemnas had cooked up with the Underworld God, especially since he was not privy to it. Moreover, he was not in the mood for what was waiting for him in his room. "What are you doing here?" He snarled.

Roxas was taken aback. "So-sorry, Axel. I can go, it's just…I waited for you at the station after my mission, but you didn't show up." Roxas said. "You promised that you would meet me; I wanted to give you something." He hung his head and stuck his hands in his pocket, where he ran his fingers along the popsicle stick marked WINNER

"Oh, well I'm sorry I didn't make it for ice cream." Axel's annoyance with the mission thrusted upon him had caused him to be short with the younger nobody. "Look, I have somewhere I need to go." Axel said. He crossed the room to obtain his chakram, and rifled through a cabinet in search of a vial of elixir, to recharge his magical energy.

"How long will you be gone?" Roxas asked, still mindfully stroking the popsicle stick.

"I can't say, I don't know. Until the mission is complete, I suppose." Axel put the chakram inside his robe and quickly downed the elixir. He ignited a fire in the palm of his hand to test the effectiveness of the medicine.

"Where?"

"I don't want you following me." Axel replied.

"But I could help you." Roxas countered.

"It's a dangerous mission. Xemnas didn't even give me all the details." Axel said. "I don't want your help." His tone was pointed and Roxas sat down on the bed, hurt by Axel's behavior.

"Why are you being so short with me?" Roxas asked quietly. Axel grunted dismissively as he passed near the blond. Roxas shot out his arm to stop Axel and stood, holding Axel's forearm. "What's the mission?"

Axel pulled his arm back swiftly, which caused Roxas to recoil. "I have to go." He opened a corridor and walked into the darkness. Roxas didn't react fast enough, and was running into nothing as the way disappeared in front of him.

Roxas, dejected by Axel's behavior, decided to head to Xion's room to check on his friend who was still stuck in a catatonic state. He opened the door to exit when he stopped at the sound of voices. Luxord and Demyx were walking nearby.

"Why is Xemnas working with Hades? Isn't he on Maleficent's side?" Demyx asked the gambler.

"It's peculiar. He specifically said he wouldn't divulge his plan with Hades, which is stranger still." Luxord replied. "Maybe all we need to know is that Axel is going to retrieve Sora's heart"

Roxas gasped. He had heard murmurs from Xemnas and Saïx about Sora and their connection and now that he knew where Axel was, he had no other desire than to stop him. As he opened his own corridor, he hoped Xion didn't intend to wake soon, and he hoped that Axel hadn't already encountered Sora.

Axel emerged from the darkness just outside the bustling marketplace of Thebes. He imagined that the boy would be around here somewhere, with that duck and dog in tow. Axel didn't want to cause a scene by walking through the crowds, dressed as he was. He scoured the crowds, when he spotted brown spikes bouncing along. Hoping the thick of the people engaging in barter would be enough of a cover, he followed Sora and his party intently, stalking them like prey.

The three were heading toward the coliseum, when suddenly a large crowd of people rushed across the square. A merchant had loudly announced a sale on his wares. The mob movement caused Donald and Goofy to fall behind without Sora's noticing. Using this to his advantage, Axel quickly made his way to Sora, knowing he would be less trouble without the king's guards to assist him. He kept only a few paces behind as to not arouse suspicion from the boy, but not to lose sight of him. When Sora had turned into an alleyway, a shortcut to the Coliseum, Axel knew he had him trapped.

Axel conjured fire in his hands when he saw Sora turn down a corner in the alleyway. He continued on in his pursuit, which ended abruptly as a figure appeared from darkness in front of him.

"Roxas?!" Axel exclaimed, startled by the intrusion. "How did you find me?" He looked past Roxas, keeping an eye on Sora. "Actually, I don't care how. Get out of here." He pushed the boy out of his way to continue on his quest. He hadn't meant to push him as hard as he did, but the force caused Roxas to fly across the alley and into a wall.

"Axel, that really hurt?" Roxas cried out. He rubbed his shoulder, the part that impacted the wall, and winced in pain.

"Don't get in my way." Axel said. "You shouldn't have followed me. I'm not going to jeopardize my mission because you show up, Roxas." Axel walked past the boy without looking at him. Roxas had moved to a sitting position, still holding his injured shoulder.

Before Axel could get farther from him, Roxas grabbed Axel's wrist and pulled. Roxas also underestimated his strength and the redhead came toppling to the ground on top of him. Axel attempted to catch himself using Roxas, specifically his shoulders. Roxas screamed in pain from the added weight pushing down on his injury.

Axel quickly regained his composure, standing over Roxas. "That was foolish. You are only hurting yourself by trying to stop me." Axel started to walk away but the cry of anguish escaping Roxas gave him pause, so he returned to the boy. He bent down and put his arms around Roxas' waist and pulled him up off the ground. He brushed the dirt off of Roxas' robe. "Roxas, please, you need to go."

"He isn't here right now." Roxas said, softly, wiping his eyes of his pained tears.

"What?" Axel asked, leaning in to hear.

"Xemnas!" Roxas yelled. Axel stumbled back, startled by the change in volume. Roxas sighed. "He's not monitoring you or me. Or…us." The last words were whispered and Roxas turned himself from Axel. "I know Xemnas would ridicule us for what we have, or worse, but I love you Axel and I can't keep it up if you only come to me out of convenience." Roxas was never very good at standing up to Axel. His voice wavered and faltered, but he wouldn't back down this time. "Why can't you care for me as much as I do for you."

"Don't speak to me of love, Roxas." Axel scoffed. "We're devoid of hearts, the idea of love is all made up in your head." Axel walked away, trying to recover his gain on Sora, but Roxas wasn't giving up that easy.

"You have to feel something for me." Roxas said.

Axel chuckled. "Of course. I feel embarrassed for you. These delusions you have, they're nothing. I feel sorry for you. I also am feeling annoyed that you keep getting in my way. I'm done playing this game with you, I have something to do." Axel disappeared into darkness. Roxas tried to reach out, but Axel was gone. He screamed out his name in hope he would return to no avail. Roxas fell to the ground. Tears fell from his eyes. His whole body shook in a pain unlike anything he felt before.

"Gawrsh, he don't look so good." Goofy said, approaching Roxas. "Do you think we should help him?"

"I don't know. Look at what he's wearing. He's not a good guy." Donald replied.

"But Donald, we are. We've gotta help him if we can." Goofy and Donald each grabbed an arm to help him up. Roxas cried in pain. Goofy had grabbed the arm connecting to his injured shoulder and his extra height wrenched his shoulder. "Sowry. Are ya okay?" Goofy helped him stand and kept him upright.

Roxas shook his head. "No. It's fine though. You don't have to do anything for me."

"Nonsense." Donald said. He waved his staff over Roxas' shoulder. "Heal!" He cried out. A green glow emanated from the tip and shone on him. Roxas moved his arm painlessly. "Better?"

"Much. Thank you." Roxas replied. "I'm Roxas, by the way."

They introduced themselves "You should come with us. We can keep you safe." Goofy said. Roxas nodded solemnly. "We are going to the coliseum. Let's hurry up so that we can catch up to Sora."

Roxas winced at the sound of the name. He didn't want to betray the one he loved, but he couldn't let Axel hurt Sora. "We have to hurry. He's in danger."

"From the tournament?" Goofy asked.

"No, Axel is after his heart. Xemnas commanded it." Roxas hung his head down. "We have to hurry. I don't want Axel to take his heart anymore than you want Sora to lose it."

Goofy and Donald exchanged glances. Donald nodded his head away from the blond, indicating his want to speak privately "This could be a trap." Donald said to Goofy once he thought they were out of earshot.

"You have every reason not to trust me." Roxas said, startling Donald. "But your trusting me isn't going to affect Axel. He won't wait for you two before attacking. Sora's going to need your help."

"Will you come and help too?" Goofy asked. "You said you don't want Axel to harm Sora either."

Roxas breathed in and released a sigh. If he stopped Axel, if he could, it'd be a betrayal. Axel may never forgive him, and Xemnas may order his destruction, but he couldn't let Sora be harmed. Their connection ran too deep for him to stand idly by. "Okay, yeah, I'll help too." Roxas tried to smile, but his gut was churning.

The three swiftly ran towards the Coliseum, weaving through the crowds of Grecians going about their business. Roxas had fell a bit behind, so none of the three noticed the two little kids gleefully chasing after the dark cloaked young man.

Donald was the first to arrive and summoned Aero to open the large doors of the Coliseum. In the open area before the arena, Sora and Axel were in the midst of combat. "Give it up, kid. You've got everything to lose. I've got nothing." Axel's chakrams danced in his hands as he swung himself towards Sora.

For the second time that day, Roxas put himself between Axel and Sora, but this time in immediate danger. Axel had to fling his weapons skyward and dig his heel into the ground to avoid collision. "ROXAS!" He screeched, snarling at the boy. "What are you doing?" Axel said before catching the falling chakram. "I told you to go home. I could have hurt you."

"No worse than you already have." Roxas said. The ocean spilled out past the shore of his eyes. He couldn't dam the flood. The foreign waters spilled down his cheeks. He had felt physical pain without this strangeness, but Axel had given him a greater pain that could only be ameliorated by tears.

"You mean the shoulder?" Axel scoffed. His annoyance had grown with the outward show of fake emotions from false memories. "Don't be such a child."

"You've got nothing?!" Roxas screamed. "You would risk your life to fight Sora for his heart because you have nothing. What am I? Am I really nothing to you? Axel, I love you. How can you throw me to the wayside for Xemnas?"

"You don't love me Roxas, you can't." Axel said. "No more than I can love you. We aren't capable."

"Why are you pushing me away?" Roxas asked, stepping closer. " You are my protector. You are my teacher. You are my friend. You are my lover. I need you, please don't walk away from me."

"Enough, Roxas." Axel shouted, moving back. "I have a mission, and I'm going to complete it. Nobody will get in my way."

Roxas hung his head. "Okay." He muttered. Axel walked past him, returning to his fight with Sora. "Wait." Roxas grabbed Axel's forearm and turned him so they were face-to-face. "If this is our end, I just need one thing." Roxas placed his hand on Axel's cheek and raised his head up to meet Axel's in a kiss. Their lips crashed into each other, and Axel, for a moment, forgot the world around him and forgot his mission. Roxas was everything, in that moment. When Roxas released him, Axel had felt a brief emptiness.

"This doesn't have to be our end." Axel whispered, leaning his forehead against the blond's.

"If you destroy Sora, you're destroying a part of me. I may not even exist like I do if you take his heart." Roxas said, looking into Axel's eyes. "You have to choose."

"I can't face the Organization and Xemnas again without Sora's heart." Axel said. "You need to look at the big picture. With his heart, Xemnas wants to unleash Kingdom Hearts. We can get hearts of our own. We can be real. We can be alive."

"We are real. This is real. You have to feel it. I don't care if the emotions we have to dredge up are fragments of hearts that were never ours, as long as we use them to love each other." Roxas said. He held tightly to Axel's robe. "No matter what happens, if we are together, it doesn't matter."

"They'll find us." Axel said, looking down to Roxas. "Xemnas will send people to find us. We will just be running forever."

"Forever with you is all I want. Even if it means that we are on the run. There are hundreds of worlds out there. As long as we keep moving, he can't catch us."

Donald and Goofy had made their way to Sora, followed by the little kids, who had still gone unnoticed. They watched Roxas grab at Axel to stop him from going back to Sora.

"What's going on?" Sora asked.

"We found Roxas lying hurt in an alleyway, and he told us Axel was here to steal your heart for Xemnas." Donald said. "We rushed here to stop him. I guess that's what he's doing now."

"Do you s'pose it'll work?" Goofy asked. They looked over just as Roxas kissed Axel. "Gawrsh!"

"Oh, well, let's hope Roxas is a good kisser." Sora said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Eww that's gross." One of the little kids said. "Icky." Said the other.

"Where did you two come from?" Donald asked.

"We just followed you guys since you were running." One said. "Wanted to see what was so important."

"You kids should get out of here, it's too dangerous." Sora said.

"Nuh uh. It's just getting good." The two kids bounded over to the two who had just broken their kiss.

"He can't catch us."

"Ho ho, look at the two lovebirds." One of the boys said, clasping his hands together and batting his eyes. "How adowable!"

"Guess Xemnas was right about you." The other said. Roxas and Axel were both taken aback by the utterance. "He asked Hades to keep an eye on you, and naturally he chose his best lackeys." The two boys' bodies contorted in smoke and fire and assumed their true form, Pain and Panic.

"What does Hades have to do with anything?" Axel asked brandishing his weapons.

"Well you're on his turf." Panic said. "Xemnas wanted you to complete your mission, but looks like blondie here is making that hard for you."

"So we came to help, just in case." Pain said. The two demons grabbed a hold of Roxas' hands and pulled him away from Axel. "No more distractions. You're welcome."

In a puff of smoke, the three had disappeared. Axel tried to grab them, but they were gone. He fell to his knees. "Roxas, no." He touched his face, shocked a single tear trickled down.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy had tried to react to Pain and Panic, but they were too late. With hesitation, they approached Axel. They each had their weapons drawn, just in case Axel went on the attack.

Axel raised his head quickly and looked at the reluctantly approaching trio. His face was contorted in pain and anger as the forest in his eyes were set ablaze in fury. The three recoiled and readied an attack when he let out a breath. In an instant, his face dulled and the fiery passion in his eyes was extinguished. "Help me." He pleaded, shocking everyone, above all himself. "Please, I need to save him."

Sora let his weapon down. "You're serious? You're part of the Organization. You're the enemy. Why should we help you?"

"Because we're the good guys." Donald echoed Goofy.

"Roxas protected you, Sora. Maybe you would have bested Axel alone, but he warned us of the danger." Goofy added.

"Why? Axel, why did he protect me?" Sora asked.

"Because he's your Nobody." The declaration stunned the group. "When you were turned into a heartless, Roxas was created. Your heart may be the single most strongest heart that exists. It's strength made a Nobody that really deeply feels. If Roxas doesn't have a heart of his own, he clearly has large fragments of yours. You came back from being a heartless. That doesn't happen. It shouldn't. Your heart is as much a key to Kingdom Hearts as the Seven Princesses. That's why Xemnas wanted me to take it from you. Roxas' bond with you is unbreakable. He won't let anyone hurt you."

Sora had to process. There was a lot of information being given to him he hadn't considered. It never occurred to him he had a Nobody let alone one so well formed. He got into a huddle with Goofy and Donald, but refused to keep an eye off Axel. "Can he be trusted, what if this is all some elaborate ruse?"

"We can't be certain of anything, Sora." Donald said. "But I don't think he's lying."

"Me either." Goofy said. "There's too much coincidence for this to have been a staged plan, and Axel and Roxas both seemed surprised by Pain and Panic's showing up."

"I don't mean to intrude," Axel's appearance startled the three as they yelled and jumped away, "But I feel as though time is of the essence, and staying here to chat seems really productive and all, but I'd rather just squash those little demons and steal Roxas back from Hades."

"Alright then. Let's head to the Underworld." Sora said. "The River Styx is just outside of Thebes, and once we get there it's just a short boat ride to the gates of Hell."

"That sounds like a lot of time that we don't have." Axel complained. He opened up a dark corridor. "This way will be faster." He urged them to follow him.

"I don't know. This doesn't seem right." Sora said. Axel frowned and waved them off, entering the darkness. Moments later, Axel was flung out of the portal, over Sora's head and landing roughly on the ground behind them. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I don't know. Hades must have amped up security down there." Axel got to his feet and brushed the dirt off his robe. "Guess we have to do it your way, Sora."

"C'mon! Roxas is waiting." Goofy said. The others looked at him with surprise to his eager attitude. "Gawrsh, anyone who's a part of Sora is important to me, and he's being trapped by Hades on Xemnas' wishes. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Donald nodded and sprang to Goofy's side. Sora and Axel exchanged looks, distrust from Sora and hope from Axel, which caused Sora to briefly smile. They nodded to each other as they ran with the others toward the river.

A/N: As with most everything else I post, this story has been bouncing around my head for awhile, and I've written some of it so far, but still need to figure out where I'm going with it. At any rate, let me know what you think, or follow and fave. The next chapter will be up within a week.


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

Hades! We're home!" Pain bellowed as he entered Hades' throne room. Panic was right behind holding Roxas captive.

"Well I must say I am pleasantly surprised you dunderheads didn't mess this up." Despite the insult, the demons beamed up at the god. "You may go now, before you have a chance to screw it up." The two quickly exited through where they came.

Hades circled Roxas and examined him. "Hmm, you look just like him, but shorter, blonder, maybe a bit doughier. Oh where are my manners. Hades, Lord of the Underworld, how ya doin'?" He held out a hand to shake but Roxas did not offer his own.

"What do you want from me?" Roxas asked, staring into Hades' eyes.

"Oh, Roxy, may I call you Roxy? Roxy, you see I'm not one of those run of the mill villains, sitting in a leather chair that spins to slowly reveal myself stroking a white cat ready to give away the plot." Hades waved his hand and the rocky floor erupted with stalagmites that formed a chair. He ushered Roxas to take a seat, where the pointed rocks curled around his wrists and ankles, trapping him. "See, I've learned from experience that the most successful plans are off-the-cuff. I'm not going to wait in suspense for 18 years when my carefully laid plans are bested by A GODDAMN TEENAGER!" The blue flames of his hair erupted into orange at the thought of Hercules. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, returning it to its natural shade. "No, this time I have plans, emphasis on the _s_. There are contingencies, and contingencies for the contingencies. I have looked at it from every possible angle. This time I'll have what is mine."

"What do I have to do with it?" Roxas asked, trying to escape his bindings. "I'm nobody."

"You're wrong. You are a Nobody. The article is important. I'm an ancient Greek God and I still understand the nuances in English. Besides, you're not just any Nobody, you're Sora's Nobody. That puts you in a very convenient place for me. You have control over the keyblade, which I need for one of my contingencies."

"You can't wield it, you fire headed moron." Roxas spat.

"Name calling is so juvenile, you feckless brat. And here I thought we were getting on so well. I guess I won't feel bad then for what I'm gonna have to do to you." Hades breathed smoke from his mouth that surrounded Roxas' head and entered him through every orifice.

"I don't need to wield the keyblade when I can wield you!" The words came from Roxas' mouth, but it was distinctly Hades voice. The smoke billowed from Roxas and he came back to consciousness coughing.

"See, you Nobodies exist in a nice not quite life state, which little ol' me can exploit to make you my puppet." Hades grinned. "But don't you worry your pretty little head, cos that's plan B."

"You're not going to win, Hades." Roxas was barely audible. The momentary loss of autonomy caused him to grow tired. His head hung and he sank into the rocks that held him.

"Eh, I'm also not gonna lose. To- _may_ -to, to- _mah_ -to." Hades responded. Listen, kid, I know it must be tough. You don't get to really feel. The whole lived human experience just within your grasp, but Sora stands in your way, and I know from experience how much of a thorn he is in the side. And even worse for you considering you basically are him. So you can't even bring yourself to end him and get him out of your way. You've been dealt a bad hand, but I'm keeping my poker face up until it's time to show the cards. So sit tight, I'm about to raise the stakes."

If Roxas hadn't known better, he could have sworn that Luxord had briefly possessed the god.

Hades had left him to his own devices, not that Roxas could have done a much of anything in his current state of captivity. He was still exhausted from Hades' smoke clouding his mind. "Axel," he pleaded, "please, find me."

"This is creepy." Donald said, as the group approached the river. The landscape had changed drastically, where the lush green had ceded to dying trees and wilting flowers. Styx was a deep black, and the waters that seeped from the river to the earth around it had kept the foliage in a state of preserved death. A fish jumped from the waters; it was nothing but bones. "Why did we agree to this?" Donald groaned.

"We've faced worse." Sora said. "We just have to find a boat and hope it will take us to the Underworld." As if commanded, a boat appeared before the four of them. They exchanged uneasy looks, but they had no other choice than to embark. "Now what?" Sora asked.

From the river, an arm reached out and its hand grasped the edge of the boat. Donald jumped in fright and hid behind Goofy. Another hand appeared and a body pulled itself out of the water. He rose straight up, effortless against the river current. He was standing upon the river before walking onto the boat. "I am Charon, guide of the damned."

"Howdy." Goofy greeted exuberantly earning peculiar looks from his companions.

"You wish to go to Hades? The living should be keen to stay away." Charon said.

"I agree." Donald quacked.

"Donald!" Sora said. "We need to rescue someone from the Underworld."

"Poor pathetic mortals would risk their lives to save another. It would be so much simpler for all involved if you just killed yourself. Then you can be with them for eternity. I ferry the dead, not the living."

"Fine, we don't need you." Axel was tired of waiting. Every minute passing without knowing what was happening to Roxas was agony. He summoned his chakram and started spinning them in the air. Then he let them float from his palms as they spun. "Hold on tight." He said as he dipped the chakram into the river. The boat was swiftly propelled forward.

Charon's face held a mix of displeasure and amusement. At the bow, he stood and raised his arms, causing the water in front of them to raise high above their heads. The boat traveled under the river and they were suddenly at the gates of hell. "Welcome to the Underworld." Charon proclaimed. "Just beyond those gates you will come across all the wonders of hell. Beware of dog; Cerberus loves the taste of warm blood. If he does kill you, at least you're already here." Charon let out a blood-curdling laugh as he and his boat sank into the waters.

"We never had to face Cerberus to enter the Underworld before. Why does Hades want to keep us out so badly?" Sora asked.

"He must have a good reason." Donald said. "It's not too late to turn around."

"How did you defeat Ansem, Marluxia, Larxene and Vexen while being such a coward?" Axel asked.

Donald quacked in anger and walked to confront Axel. "There is a difference between cowardice and common sense. We can't beat Hades because he is an immortal god and we are in his Underworld. Not to mention the vicious three-headed dog beyond those gates."

"Well Charon is gone." Axel said flourishing his arm to the empty river. "There's no place to go but through the gate."

"I can stay right here." Donald said, folding his wings across his chest.

"Alone? Sure, that's safe." Axel scoffed and turned away from the duck. Donald turned his back to Axel's and quacked indignantly. "Well, I am tired of waiting. If you don't want to stop Xemnas and Hades, I guess I will."

He approached the gates, giant, black iron doors inserted into an archway carved into stone. He carefully opened one, an eerie creaking came from the hinges. He turned around one last time. "Well?"

Sora looked to Goofy and Donald before returning to Axel, waiting. "I want to stop them too. But I'm not leaving Donald behind."

"Donald, we need to stop the Organization and if Hades is helping them they're only gonna be more powerful." Goofy said, trying to convince his friend.

"I know we do, but this is dangerous. We don't know their plans and Hades is even more powerful down here than he is up there. I just think that judgment is being clouded by emotion." Donald said. "We wouldn't be down here if Axel wasn't in love with Roxas."

"I am not in love." Axel insisted. "Remember, I'm a Nobody." He knocked on his chest. "No heart."

"Then why are we here?" Donald countered angrily, his feathers ruffling around his neck. "If you don't love him then why didn't you just take Sora's heart like you were supposed to and go back to Xemnas?"

The redhead was surprised by the outburst. "Why do you care? Isn't it enough we are thwarting the Organization?"

Donald walked towards Axel with purpose. "That isn't enough for you. Why would you betray the Organization if you don't love him?" His anger had not subsided.

Axel met Donald half way and barked back. "Why does it matter to you?"

"Admit you love him." Donald yelled back. He had to crane his neck high to lock eyes with the much taller man. "Say it."

"No. Why do you…"

Donald raised his staff. "Gravira." He quacked, interrupting Axel. The force caused Axel's knees to buckle, and he fell to the ground. Sora and Goofy quickly ran to Donald's side in case the Nobody retaliated.

Now that they were at eye level, Donald slapped him a bit with his wing and then gripped onto the collar of Axel's robe. "Because I'm a good guy." Donald said. "Sora, Goofy and I can take care of Hades and Xemnas because, despite what you might hear from Phil, we are heroes. You are not, Axel. So if you don't love him, why are you going to rescue him?"

"He's my friend." Axel said.

"Sora and Goofy are my friends too, and I love them." Donald said, still gripping Axel's robe. "So why can't you admit you love him."

Axel was getting annoyed by the persistence of the King's mage. "We are wasting time." The effects of Donald's spell had subsided and he returned to his feet, shaking the duck off. "I don't need to admit anything to you." Axel headed toward the gate once more.

Donald quacked as he hit the ground. He too was getting annoyed by Axel's avoidance. "Stop." Donald casted a spell. He raced out in front of Axel, flanked by his friends. "I'm not letting you hurt him."

The three all gave Donald curious looks. "Hurt who?" They chimed together in unison.

"Roxas." He answered

"I'm not going to hurt him." Axel scoffed. "I want to rescue him. That's why we're here."

"Then just say you love him." Donald said. "Otherwise, we will just rescue him ourselves."

Axel glared at Donald, and then chuckled. "What happened to the coward?"

"You're still here." Donald retorted earning a look of disdain from the redhead. "I am going to stand by my friends because our bond is strong, and I am not going to let them die without my help. Love, Axel, is stronger than cowardice. I still think this is a bad idea, but the three of us have faced challenges head-on and we've bested them." Donald put his wings on Goofy and Sora's backs. "We don't need your cowardice to beat Hades."

"I'm the coward? For what?" Axel stood akimbo glaring at the duck who just would not shut up.

"You won't say you love him." Donald said.

"Because I don't." Axel said. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Then we will rescue him on our own." Donald said. "Come on."

"You can't be serious?! Because I won't say that I'm in love?" Axel yelled. "Try and stop me."

Axel had summoned his chakram and flung them directly at Donald. This caught him by surprise, and he was not ready for the attack. Luckily for him, Sora and Goofy were prepared for the physical assault that was bound to happen. Goofy shielded him from one of the chakram while Sora hit the other away with his keyblade.

"Axel, don't do this. We're here to save Roxas, not attack each other." Sora said, holding a battle stance ready in front of Donald.

"Me!? He's been fighting me since we got down here. Wasting our time." He pointed at Donald menacingly. "He's been standing in our way because he doesn't want to save him."

"I don't want to hurt him." Donald said, breaking past Sora and Goofy's barrier. "Which is exactly what will happen if you don't find the courage to say that you love him."

"But I don't. I can't. I don't have a heart." Axel said, clutching his chest.

Donald noticed a flicker of sorrow in Axel's face and knew that he was finally breaking down the resolve of the man before him. "Roxas doesn't either."

"It's different." Axel spoke almost too softly to hear.

"Stop making excuses, coward." Donald fired back. "The boy I met is in pain because of you. If you can't love him then you're just going to hurt him."

"I won't." Axel said.

"It's too late." Donald said. "Let's go." Donald headed toward the gate. Goofy and Sora exchanged glances and then turned to the defeated Axel. He had made no attempt to stop them.

On the other side of the gates, Goofy and Sora followed behind Donald down a massive corridor of stone. There were moments of silence as they walked further into the Underworld.

"I guess I'll say it." Sora started. "What was that, Donald?"

"Nothing." Donald said tersely.

"It wasn't…"

"No, it was nothing." Donald said, ending the discussion.

The three walked in silence for a bit longer. The corridor started to narrow. There was no light at the end of the tunnel. The fires that lined the walls had been extinguished. "Firaga." Donald yelled, attempting to light the blackness at the end of the corridor.

A low growl erupted from the blackness. It was Cerberus, who was not happy about being disturbed from sleep.

"Run!" Sora yelled. They ran back down the corridor as one of Cerberus' heads snapped at them. They had outrun the dog's head, but Cerberus kept trying to reach them.

"Firaga! Blizzaga! Thundaga!" Donald shot spell after spell at the hellhound, but he was not affected. He only grew angrier.

An intense banging began as the other heads started attacking the rock walls, trying to widen the corridor and allow themselves entrance.

As the ceiling started crumbling, Sora shouted at them to run. They evaded the small rocks that fell as they hurried back to the gates and the River Styx.

The three nearly collided with Axel, who had rushed in to help when he heard the thunderous sounds coming from the cavern. "Why are you running?" Axel asked as they all came to a halt.

"Why?!" Donald quacked. "Cos we aren't being made into dog food today." Axel and Donald stared with loathing into each other's eyes. "So let's go!" Donald spun the tall man around and pushed against his back, forcing him to move.

The four exited the gates and approached the river. "Charon!" Sora yelled. No response. He called out again but still nothing.

Axel opened a dark corridor. "Look, we should be able to get out of here without problems." The three looked at each other with doubt. "Come on, we have to find a way past Cerberus or else we won't get Roxas back.

"Alright." Donald stepped forward. "Let's follow Axel." Sora and Goofy nodded, and they all entered into the darkness.

They emerged within the Coliseum, where Philoctetes was putting Hercules through some rigorous training. "Let's go, champ!" Phil cheered on as Hercules destroyed countless urns and barrels with swiftness and ease. "Faster, Herc."

A giant urn had appeared in the center of the arena and Hercules ran towards it, preparing to shatter it, when the dark corridor opened in front of it. Hercules had jumped up to smash the pot, but the appearance of the three junior heroes and Axel had startled him. He did not want to hurt them, so he quickly changed course, rolling onto the ground to the side of them.

"Whoa. What's going on here?" Phil came trotting over. "Well, if it isn't the junior heroes."

Donald quacked derisively. Sora rolled his eyes and smiled at Phil. "Good to see you, Phil. Sorry we interrupted your training."

"No sweat." Phil replied. "I mean that literally, no sweat. This training doesn't even tire our golden boy anymore. Almost doesn't seem worthwhile."

"Does that mean I'm done training?" Hercules asked, approaching the group.

"Two words: Not even close." Phil replied. "We just need to find you a challenge."

"He could help us rescue Roxas from Hades." Axel suggested. "That's gotta be challenging enough."

"No can do, Red." Phil replied. Hercules opened his mouth, but Phil shook his head. "There's a challenge, and then there's suicide. You don't just waltz into the Underworld. Now I'm not saying Hercules here can't best ol' Blue Hair and his doggy, but not when there's home field advantage."

"Oh, come on Phil." Hercules sighed. "I'm a hero after all. Heroes help their friends in need."

"Heroes also don't blindly go into losing battles." Phil replied. "If you were still a god, no question, but you went and gave that up for love.

"But..." Hercules started. "Look." He demonstrated his power, lifting the still standing giant urn over his head and throwing it across the arena, where it broke into tiny pieces. "I'm strong enough."

"Cerberus is not made of clay. You can't just throw him and watch him explode." Phil said.

"Just give me a chance!" Hercules said.

"No. That's final." Phil said.

"Well regardless of what he's doing, we're going to go rescue him." Axel said. "So do you have any advice about taking down Cerberus?"

Phil bleated angrily. "Do you listen? It's not safe. Especially not for junior heroes, and I don't know who you are, but you don't look like any kind of hero."

Axel smiled snidely. "You're right, I'm no hero." He crossed his arms over his chest. "But if you don't have any advice, we'll find someone with a little more wisdom to impart."

Phil glared at the redhead. "I don't like this guy." He said to the other three.

"Me neither." Donald replied.

"But we're gonna help." Goofy said. "So if you know anything..."

"We'd appreciate it." Sora added. The boy smiled bright at the satyr, hoping to sway him.

Phil shook his head. "You don't beat Cerberus. He can't be killed. Maybe left unconscious, but I've never heard of that happening." The goat man pondered, stroking his chin. "There was a guy, Orpheus, who travelled to Hades to reclaim his wife. He halted Cerberus with a lullaby. Can any of you sing?" The four looked at each other. They each started to sing. "Ye gods, stop!" Phil cried, covering his ears.

"So a lullaby is out of the question." Sora said.

The four looked defeated. Phil, despite himself, offered a solution. "I think this is a terrible idea, all of it; trying to fight Cerberus, trying to rescue someone from Hades, and what I'm going to suggest."

"We'll try anything." Axel said. "No matter how crazy it is. I have to save him. What's the suggestion?"

"Legend tells of another world in the depths of an ocean. It is ruled by Poseidon's son, Triton. Outcast from that kingdom lives a sea witch, who has great power, and who can procure a voice that would lull even the vicious Cerberus into slumber. She's been known to help the poor, unfortunate souls of the ocean for a price, but everything worth having comes at a price." Donald, Goofy and Sora all exchanged looks, not liking where the story was headed. "It is in my expert opinion that there's only one entity that can help you, and her name is..."

The trio looked to Phil and spoke in unison. "Ursula."


End file.
